2009 Ford Escape Engine Problems
Owners have filed 254 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2009 Ford Escape, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 70,167 miles. The words owners use most often: “throttle body” (35% of reports).
- 254engine complaints
- 70,167median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 38%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Throttle body: mentioned in 88 of 254 complaints (35%)
- Turned off: mentioned in 47 of 254 complaints (19%)
- Put park: mentioned in 15 of 254 complaints (6%)
- Went limp: mentioned in 14 of 254 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 241 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 254 complaints, 3 mention a crash.
Ford Escape engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Escape | 2 | 67% | — |
| 2025 Escape | 5 | 19% | — |
| 2024 Escape | 13 | 17% | 4,092 |
| 2023 Escape | 28 | 28% | 6,200 |
| 2022 Escape | 33 | 14% | 39,200 |
| 2021 Escape | 44 | 13% | 79,000 |
| 2020 Escape | 121 | 8% | 65,500 |
| 2019 Escape | 316 | 53% | 61,194 |
| 2018 Escape | 1,165 | 64% | 78,667 |
| 2017 Escape | 1,579 | 59% | 70,000 |
| 2016 Escape | 200 | 17% | 64,000 |
| 2015 Escape | 239 | 21% | 74,000 |
| 2014 Escape | 727 | 35% | 74,000 |
| 2013 Escape | 1,265 | 46% | 75,000 |
| 2012 Escape | 73 | 12% | 40,500 |
| 2011 Escape | 248 | 19% | 47,102 |
| 2010 Escape | 493 | 24% | 52,000 |
| 2009 Escape | 254 | 15% | 70,167 |
| 2008 Escape | 83 | 4% | 85,500 |
| 2007 Escape | 25 | 10% | 100,400 |
| 2006 Escape | 47 | 10% | 93,000 |
| 2005 Escape | 130 | 9% | 113,000 |
| 2004 Escape | 31 | 6% | 109,748 |
| 2003 Escape | 24 | 4% | 127,413 |
| 2002 Escape | 36 | 4% | 150,000 |
| 2001 Escape | 27 | 3% | 125,436 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2009 Ford Escape. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
On several occasions my 2009 Ford escape xlt completely died as I was driving 1. On the highway at 60mph I had to pull over and restart vehicle. 2. Going through town at 30mph I had to put in neutral to restart as I was moving uphill. 3. As I was at a stop light, again putting in neutral was…
I was driving down the road about 35 mph and it jerked me clean off the right side of the road. Here the driver side and passenger side subframe/engine cratle is completely rotted out bad . This needs fixed before someone dies.
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was caused by the EGR valve. The…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2009 Ford Escapes have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 254 owner complaints about engine for the 2009 Ford Escape (15% of the 1,693 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Ford Escape engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 70,167 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2009 Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “throttle body”, in 88 of 254 complaints, followed by “turned off” (47).
Other 2009 Ford Escape problems
See all 2009 Ford Escape problems or engine problems across all Escape years.